Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was accorded a red-carpet welcome before the start of the match. As Hyderabad is hosting the first One-Day International (ODI) after formation of a separate Telangana state, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) rolled out the red carpet.

KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, reached the specially erected podium, set free a pigeon and released balloons before meeting the two teams. HCA president Arshad Ayub introduced the players and other members of both the squads. The Telangana kissed Ambati Rayudu's hand.

The tight security was no deterrent to the fans, who were not allowed to carry mobile phones, carry bags or even water bottles inside the stadium. With the chief minister visiting the stadium, the police further tightened the security. Traffic restrictions around the stadium in view of the VIP movement caused traffic jams.

About 1,500 policemen from various wings of the Cyberabad police were deployed as part of the massive security. According to Cyberabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand, 56 closed circuit cameras were installed at the venue. A command and control room was also set up to keep a tight vigil. Police had also kept Quick Response Teams (QRTs) and the anti-terror OCTOPUS teams on standby.